Japan floods toll reaches 199

Tokyo: The death toll from devastating floods resulting from torrential rains in Japan has increased to 199, a government official said on Thursday.

Nearly 73,000 army, police and fire brigade personnel continue to look for the missing with the help of 83 helicopters and dozens of vessels, government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga said during a press conference.

This is worst weather disaster in the country in 36 years, Efe news quoted Suga as saying.

He warned of the possibility of rain in the region over the next few days and expected high temperatures that could affect displaced people and rescue teams.

The record rainfall since July 5 in the Japanese archipelago led to severe floods and landslides, particularly in Hiroshima, Ehime and Okayama prefectures where the disaster has ravaged thousands of homes and cut off access to several neighbourhoods.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Okayama on Wednesday and is set to travel to Ehime on Friday to monitor the ongoing rescue operations and provide assistance to those affected by the catastrophe, the spokesperson said.

Major firms that had to close facilities in the affected regions resumed operations after three days.

The Mitsubishi Motors plant in the Okayama prefecture resumed operations on Thursday.

Panasonic, however, kept its video-camera manufacturing plant in Okayama closed for the fourth day and does not plan to resume production for at least a week as the floods in the facility have damaged the power supply, a company spokesperson told Efe.